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Ex-PM Medvedev: US trying to use Internet as its fiefdom

Dmitry Medvedev recalled the US administration’s decision regarding owners of such social networks as WeChat and apps linked to it
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev  Ekaterina Shtukina/POOL/TASS
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev
© Ekaterina Shtukina/POOL/TASS

MOSCOW, August 12. /TASS/. The United States is trying to leverage the Internet exclusively to their advantage, which is deplorable, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday at a meeting on establishing an equal rights regime of Internet management.

"Not surprisingly, a number of countries, primarily the US, are seeking to use the Internet as their fiefdom and as a tool to ensure their interests are met exclusively," he said, recalling that the US controls a system of domain names and IP addresses.

"Simply and directly put, it shouldn’t be like that," Medvedev stressed.

He recalled the US administration’s decision regarding owners of such social networks as WeChat (belongs to Chinese Internet giant Tencent) and apps linked to it. According to the deputy security council chairman, it shows that the US aims to continue pursuing its policy in the Internet, while interpreting decisions of certain companies or countries solely through the prism of national interests and disregarding any international competition or rules existing today.

"This behavior of the US and some of their partners proves that neither Internet users nor businesses nor states can be sure that their interests will be duly protected in these conditions," he underlined.

Tough pressure

China experiences tough pressure in the Internet from the United States, to which Russia should also be poised, the high-ranking official said.

Several years ago "the United States discussed an idea of disconnecting Russia from the payment verification system, that is, from the SWIFT system. It is now the People’s Republic of China that is experiencing such fairly serious, tough pressure," Medvedev continued. "A portion of these sanctions" and methods of exerting pressure pertain to the Internet, the official added.